So you think there is some truth to the comments by Wade, McEnroe and the like??

Wade, no. At the FO he had a very obvious back spasm and was on painkillers for a large part of the season.

In the latter part of the season Murray claimed himself that he was no longer on medication for his back, and it's become quite blatant since then that clutching at body parts after losing a point has become some sort of 'go to'; it's become almost instinctive. Just frustration I think, his way of dealing with it instead of screaming or swearing like he used to do quite regularly in the past.

I really dont think i will keep a check on live scores next time at work-its just too bloody nerve wracking, either that or im gona get the bullet if i get caught!!! Typical andy maybe next game he can do it in 2 give all our nerves a break. Both my apps that i use were playing up as well - one kept cutting out & couldnt get the atp/wta app to work at all!!! Which added to my already fragile frustated state aaaaaargghhh

You want him to play his 'Gold Medal' match every time? Get real! Andy only ever plays as well as he 'needs' to.......and rightly so! I'm sure we're all sorry he never came up to your high standards this time!

I get not reading too much into it seen as it was the first match and all but it's equally foolish to be under a false illusion, the match was simply not high quality stuff in any sense of the word.

Maybe Andy could ask you to play Istomin for him and see how you get on.

Millman put up a fight in the second, which I personally always like to see, but it was clear Andy was too strong for him. Andy just had a momentary loss of focus in the second. To call it anything else is, frankly, absurd. Once he regained his focus at the start of the third, he was perfectly fine. Yes, there is some room for improvement, but so there should be at this point.

Meanwhile, just read that Raonic is out, beaten by Dimitrov in straight sets. I'd quite like to see Dimitrov play Andy.

Maybe Andy could ask you to play Istomin for him and see how you get on.

Millman put up a fight in the second, which I personally always like to see, but it was clear Andy was too strong for him. Andy just had a momentary loss of focus in the second. To call it anything else is, frankly, absurd. Once he regained his focus at the start of the third, he was perfectly fine. Yes, there is some room for improvement, but so there should be at this point.

Meanwhile, just read that Raonic is out, beaten by Dimitrov in straight sets. I'd quite like to see Dimitrov play Andy.

World number three Andy Murray narrowly avoided the wrath of coach Ivan Lendl following a 6-1, 5-7, 6-3, win over John Millman in his opening match at the Brisbane International.

After the laboured win over the Australian, who is ranked 199 in the world, Murray revealed his coach had not even considered the possibility of an opening round loss on Thursday.

The US Open champion said: "He was obviously expecting me to come through, but it was very nearly a different story. The depth of the game now is so, so strong.

"None of the matches are easy. It was a bit different back in Ivan's day where they could kind of cruise a little bit the first couple rounds."

Murray was out of sorts in a tight second set, clutching at his back, thigh and shoulder, and although his class shone through, it was not one of his finest efforts.

"I had seen John's name before, but I hadn't seen him play," he said.

"I think it's important when you don't know how someone plays to find out about their character a little bit.

"He's very consistent...he can play quite a long way behind the baseline and doesn't take too many risks. And then, you know, he was going for absolute bombs and making them," he added.

The Scot said he was in good shape for his next assignment at Melbourne Park, from January 14, despite his stuttering display against Millman that had a sold-out crowd roaring for the Australian.

"It was great to play in an atmosphere like that for the first match of the year, to get back into the swing of playing in front of large and loud crowds," Murray said.

"There is obviously a lot of that at the Australian Open.

"No matter how much you practice, you can't replicate those sorts of atmospheres. It's important for me to play in them, especially in the beginning of the year. I wasn't too disappointed with the way I played tonight either, so it was a good, good first match for me."